Today's Movie: Driven

2001's Driven is a weird movie. 

It stars two actors that I've always liked and even wrote about in my "10 Movies Everyone Should See" series, Sylvester Stallone and Burt Reynolds. It's also a sports movie (sure it's Formula 1 racing, but it counts). So I like the film for those two aspects but, overall it is a bad movie. Directed by career-hack Renny Harlin, the movie feels chaotic and unfocused for large stretches which probably contributed to it being a critical and commercial flop.

The story is about a young driver named Jimmy Bly (played by Kip Purdue) who, while in the midst of an impressive rookie season, is having trouble dealing with all the pressure of being a rising star in the sport. This leads the team owner Carl Henry (played by Burt Reynolds) to bring in an experienced, former pro to act as a mentor to Jimmy. That former pro is Joe Tanto (played by Sylvester Stallone) who feels like he should be the hero of this story but isn't because it's about Jimmy. There is also an odd amount of poorly scripted love triangle drama in this movie. Jimmy briefly dates his rival's ex-girlfriend but, she leaves him for the the other guy. Also, Joe Tanto's ex-wife is married to his friend, and Joe starts dating a reporter that the ex-wife seems to dislike for no reason. It's a mess.

Overall, I don't recommend this movie. The acting isn't great, and the script bad. However, by far the worst thing in my opinion is how the film is shot and edited. A single scene in this movie will feature close-up, cut, cut, close-up, cut, whip-pan, cut, close-up of a car, cut, another whip-pan, cut... it never stops. I get that they were going for intense and high-energy but, it just came off a distracting.

I give this one a 1.5 out of 5.

Cloud 9

I took a little vacation but now I'm back, and today's movie is another entry in my Tales from the Bargain Bin series. Cloud 9 is a 2006 sports-comedy starring Burt Reynolds, Gabrielle Reece, D.L. Hughley and Angie Everhart. In the film Reynolds plays Billy Cole, a washed up sports promoter who comes up with a get-rich-quick scheme involving women's volleyball. Cole's idea is to recruit a group of strippers to form a sexy volleyball team. While they're aren't any good at volleyball, Cole's plan is to have them make appearances at bachelor parties and such to rake in some quick cash. At first everything goes according to plan but it isn't long before the girls want to become a legitimate volleyball team and Billy starts to feel bad about exploiting the woman. So with a bit of training and hard work the team starts to turn it around. They make it to the championship and, in classic movie underdog fashion, the former strippers win it all. 

While this isn't a great movie or one of Reynolds' best, it was actually better than I expected. A decent amount of the comedy works, the characters are likeable, and at just around an hour and a half runtime it moves at a decent pace. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone but, if you're a big fan of the late Burt Reynolds or if you just really like sports movies then you may find this one worth checking out.
I give this one a 2.5 out of 5.

70's Month - Day:7 Gator

The follow up to 1973's White Lightning, and premiering just about one year before the iconic Smokey and the Bandit, 1976's Gator both stars and was directed by Burt Reynolds. Now, the film isn't one of Reynolds best, as evidenced by it's 5.8/10 IMDb score and it's whopping 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, I like the movie despite it's shortcomings and I think it's worth checking out.

In the film Reynolds plays a moonshine runner and ex-con named Gator McKlusky who is coerced by a federal agent to gather tax-evasion evidence against racketeer, and old friend of Gator's, Bama McCall (played by Jerry Reed). Along the way Gator meets local journalist Aggie Maybank (played by Lauren Hutton) and the two join forces to take down Bama McCall.

While it isn't that great of a movie overall, it has it's highlights. There is a pretty fun high-speed boat chase through a swamp early on, and some decent comedic beats sprinkled throughout. Sure the acting is hit or miss, it's about 20 minutes too long, and on the whole the film feels a bit underdeveloped... but it's entertaining enough.

I give it a 2 out of 5.

Hamlet & Hutch

I'm a big fan of the late, great Burt Reynolds, and I even wrote a piece a while back about 10 of his movies that I recommend people see (you can check that one out HERE). However, until today I had not seen the 2015 Direct-to-DVD film Hamlet & Hutch. 

In the film Reynolds plays Papa Hutch, an old theater actor who is suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer's. This forces him to move from New York to the Georgia and in with his granddaughter and his 11 year old great granddaughter, Liv. Hutch and Liv quickly develop a bond based on their mutual love of both acting and a greyhound appropriately named Hamlet. Toward the latter third of the film both Hamlet and Hutch go missing. Hutch turns up at a church relatively quickly, but Hamlet remains missing until the sappy, predictable, 'if you believe hard enough' conclusion.

Overall, it's not a great movie. The production quality is low and the acting is hit and miss (mostly misses). I wouldn't recommend it, but it's not completely unwatchable.

 I give this one a 1 out of 5.

10 Burt Reynolds Movies Everyone Should See

With Burt Reynolds' latest film (The Last Movie Star) now out, it seemed like a good time to add another entry to this ongoing '10 Movies Everyone Should See' series. Previous entries have included Sean Connery, Alfred Hitchcock, Tom Hanks, and James Stewart Just to name a few. (You can check those by clicking Here)  Like the rest of the series, this isn't a "Top 10" but rather more of an overall a look at a person's career.

#10 Breaking In (1989)

There were a few films that I debated on putting at the #10 spot, but this film about an expert safe-cracker and a two-bit crook teaming up to pull a few heists ultimately won out. It's not an all-time great movie, but it's a lot of fun.

#9 Boogie Nights (1997)

Boogie Nights isn't my favorite film on this list, but it's well directed, has a pretty good cast, and is one of Reynold's most critically acclaimed performances so it deserves a place a spot.

#8 The Last Movie Star (2018)

I actually had a different film in this spot originally but, after seeing The Last Movie Star I had to include it on the list. I wrote a more in-depth review (which you can check out by clicking HERE) but, the main reason it made it on to this list is that I think it's one of Burt's best acting performances.

#7 City Heat (1984)

If you like Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds, and mobster movies then this is one you'll definetly want to check out. While not the best film either one of the leads has been in, I think it's enjoyable and worthwhile.

#6 Deliverance (1972)

This film about a group of friends that take a canoe trip that goes horribly wrong is not a movie I would describe as a 'fun' watch, but it's still arguably the best overall film that Burt has been in.

#5 The End (1978)

One of several films on this list that teamed up Burt Reynolds win Dom DeLuise, this one is a really underrated comedy about a man who has convinced himself that he wants to commit suicide but is too afraid to go through with it.

#4 All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)

Burt voices the animated character Charlie Barkin, a con-artist German Shepard, in this Don Bluth film. It's a solid animated feature and is certainly a unique entry on the Burt Reynolds filmography.

#3 The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982)

Burt Reynolds joins Dolly Parton in this musical about, as the title would suggest, a whorehouse in Texas. Although this adaptation of a stage production received mixed reviews from critics, it is actually one of my favorites on this list.

#2 The Cannonball Run (1981)

Burt Reynolds may not have always chosen the best films but he usually chose fun ones. Cannonball Run is one of the all-time just for fun films, with a great cast of crazy characters all competing in a cross-country auto race.

#1 Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

This one is a bit of an obvious choice as it's definitely the film Burt is best known for, and for good reason. Smokey and the Bandit was a big hit at the box-office and has become something of an American classic.



Honorable Mentions: The Longest Yard(1974), Stick (1985), Mystery Alaska (1999), Gator (1976), White Lightning (1973), Fuzz, (1972), Semi-Tough (1977), 100 Rifles (1969)

The Last Movie Star (2018)

The Last Movie Star is a film is about an former Hollywood star coming to terms with the fact that his best days are behind him and reflecting on the mistakes he's made over the years. Although the film is a work of fiction, parts of it are semi-autobiographical, and there are even scenes with Burt interacting with his younger self.

Overall the plot is pretty simple: An aging movie star named Vic Edwards (played by Reynolds) is invited to attend a weekend-long film festival in Nashville and he is told he will be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award. After talking it over with an old friend of his (played by Chevy Chase) he decides to attend. However, when Vic arrives in Nashville he soon learns that the festival isn't the glitz and glamour, red carpet event he thought it was going to be. Instead, the "Film Festival" is a being put on by a small group of fans and takes place at a bar. After a rough first night in Nashville Vic decides to ask a girl named Lil (played by Ariel Winter), who has been tasked with driving him around town for the weekend, to take him to Knoxville where he grew up. So they go. Vic visits various important places from his youth, and all along the way offers up words of wisdom to Lil who herself is at a crossroads in her own life.

I don't know how this film is going to land with general audiences, but I enjoyed it. Is it the best film that's going to hit theaters this year? Probably not, but it feels like a very personal film and Reynolds gives a genuinely touching performance. I recommend checking it out.

I give it a 3.5 out of 5

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80's Month Day 27: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

Well, '80's Month' is quickly coming to a close and today's movie is 1982's The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. The film is based on a stage play of the same name (which I've never seen so I won't attempt to compare the two), and it's a bit of an odd but fun movie. 

 

The movie is about a whorehouse in Texas (as the title would suggest) which has been nicknamed the "Chicken Ranch". The Chicken Ranch, which has been a fixture in the community for years, is run by a woman named Mona (played by Dolly Parton) who just wants to run a nice establishment. She's involved with the town Sheriff, Ed Earl Dodd (played by Burt Reynolds) which only complicates matters later in the film. There are a few musical numbers in the movie and, while they're not those sort of stuck in your head all day tunes, some of them are pretty entertaining. The Sneakin' Around sequence in particular is a lot of fun. 

Well, despite this local brothel never causing any trouble and being generally excepted by the community, a "watchdog" reporter named Melvin P. Thorpe (played by Dom DeLuise) aims to rid Texas of this immoral establishment. Eventually, after butting heads with the Sheriff on numerous occasions, Thorpe does get what he wants in the end and the Chicken Ranch is shut down. This isn't one of the funniest Dom DeLuise roles, but I don't think it's really supposed to be. A lot of the funniest lines actually come from Ed Earl's Deputy (played by Jim Nabors).

Overall, if you like Burt Reynolds, Dolly Parton and the occasional musical number, then you'll probably have a good time with this one. I really like the movie, but I wouldn't call it any sort of masterpiece. It's one of those rare films that I'm really not sure how good it is but, I enjoy it. 

So, a 3.5 out of 5 seems like a fair rating.

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80's Month Day 16: All Dogs Go to Heaven

Today's 80's movie is the 1989 Don Bluth film All Dogs Go to Heaven. A childhood favorite of mine, the film features the voice talents of Burt Reynolds, Vic Tayback, Dom DeLuise, Loni Anderson, and others.

The movie starts with two dogs, a German Shepard named Charlie (voiced by Burt Reynolds) and a Dachshund named Itchy (voiced by Dom DeLuise) escaping from the dog pound. Charlie is a sort of smug con-artist type and Itchy is over excitable and often nervous so they're a fun duo.

After their escape, the two return to a casino formerly run by Charlie and his partner, a bulldog named Carface (voiced by Vic Tayback). The business has grown substantially in Charlie's absence and Carface, not wanting to share the profits, murders him. So, Charlie goes to Heaven, as all dogs do, and an angel tells him that a gold watch representing his life has stopped. Not quite ready to be dead, Charlie steals the watch and winds it, resulting in him returning to Earth. However, he's told that if he dies again, he will not return to Heaven. 

 

After returning to earth and reuniting with Itchy, they discover that Carface is holding a young orphan named Anne-Marie prisoner. She has the ability to talk to animals which has given Carface the advantage in rigging the odds on rat races and that's how he gained so much wealth in Charlie's absence. 

 So, Charlie and Itchy rescue the little girl with the idea that they can use her abilities to get revenge on Carface. Anne-Marie isn't interested in helping another greedy dog get rich, but Charlie convinces her that they plan to give their winnings to the poor and help her find some parents. Well, the trio begins making bets and pulling in the big bucks, Charlie and Itchy use the winnings to build a casino in the junkyard they live in, and Anne-Marie gets frustrated that they have yet too help the poor or find her a family. To keep her happy for a little longer, Charlie brings pizza to a family of poor puppies and their mother a Collie (voiced by Loni Anderson) at an old abandoned church. Eventually, Anne-Marie runs away and, of course Carface and his goons catch her. By this point you know how it's all going to end, if you hadn't guessed sooner; Charlie rescues Anne-Marie, sacrificing his own life in the process, Anne-Marie gets adopted, and Charlie's good deed is enough to get him back into Heaven.

Overall, as I stated at the beginning, this was a favorite of mine as a kid and I still was really entertained while rewatching it. The animation is pretty good and the filmmakers did a solid job in getting the right actors to voice these characters. It's not a perfect movie and there are a few parts I would've changed, but it's definitely worth watching.

I give it a 3.5 out of 5.

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Semi-Tough

 Semi-Tough is a 1977 sports-comedy staring Burt Reynolds, Kris Kristofferson, and Jill Clayburgh.

The film is about Billy Clyde Puckett (played by Burt Reynolds) and Marvin 'Shake' Tiller (played by Kris Kristofferson) who are old friends and teammates that play football for Miami. The two are also friends with the team owner's daughter Barbara Jane (played by Jill Clayburgh), and a bit of a love triangle forms. Barbara becomes involved with Marvin and he soon proposes. However, there is one small problem, he has just taken a sort of new age, self-improvement course called B.E.A.T and he leader of B.E.A.T. Friedrich Bismark (played by Burt Convy) warns that marriages don't last between people who "get it" and people who don't.

 Well, Barbara Jane is determined to make it work, so she attends one of the seminars hoping to "get it" and Billy Clyde, who also has feelings for Barbara Jane, enrolls in B.E.A.T. in order to understand what she is going through.After the training session, Barbara Jane feels guilty that she didn't get anything out of the course, and for awhile Billy Clyde pretends that Bismark's way of thinking really had an impact on him. There's also a cameo by Carl Weathers in there, and that's always a plus. In the end, Marvin can't marry someone who just doesn't "get it" and, Barbara Jane and Billy Clyde reveal their feelings one another and head off together.

Overall, I thought it was a good movie and I got quite a few laughs out of it. It's not Burt Reynolds' best movie but, it's definitely enjoyable.

I give it a 3.5 out of 5.

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Today's Movie: The Man from Left Field

The Man from Left Field is a 1993 TV-movie directed by, produced by, and starring Burt Reynolds and, for something that it sounds like he was heavily invested in, Burt gives a pretty phoned-in performance.

The movie is about a drifter with amnesia that wanders into a small town one day, starts giving baseball tips to a little league team, and thus becomes their coach. None of the parents seem to have a problem with this, but that's besides the point. Anyway, this is a movie full of problems so I'll start with the team. This is the stereotypical, 90's, ragtag team of nonthreatening misfits: There's a short kid, a kid with glasses, a pudgy kid, a kid with a troubled home life, one kid that's actually pretty good at the sport, etc. Imagine a less interesting version of the kids from The Sandlot or Disney's The Mighty Ducks and that's this team. 

Along the way Burt Reynolds is teaching them life lessons and helping them with their problems, and all the while he can't remember any of his past. He also starts dating the mom of one of the players, she's played by Reba McEntire, and she seems like the only person who's actually trying in the movie. One evening one of the kids runs away, falls into a lake and, of course, Burt Reynolds saves him. The traumatic experience gives Burt his memory back, for some reason, and he remembers that he used to be a great Major League player and...also... a Doctor?! Why? I don't know, that part just comes out of left field (pun intended).

Anyway, you can probably guess how it ends, the team wins the big game against last years champs who are also a bunch of rich bullies and everyone presumably live happily ever after. It's not a good movie. In addition to the things I already mentioned, there are also some random awkwardly placed freeze frames, music that doesn't always seem to fit the mood, and some really cheesy writing.

Overall, it's watchable but not something I recommend.

I give it a 1 out of 5.

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Today's Movie: The End (1978)

This one was recommended to me recently so I decided to go ahead and check it out.

In this 1978 comedy Burt Reynolds plays Sonny Lawson, a man with a fatal blood disease who is told that he has less than a year to live. He's so distraught by the diagnosis, and not wanting to suffer a slow painful death, that he decides to commit suicide. After a mixture of sleeping pills and alcohol fails to do the trick, Sonny wakes up in a mental hospital where he meets a loyal, schizophrenic named Marlon (played by Dom DeLuise) who happily vows to help his new friend kill himself. After several failed attempts, including not being able to find a tall enough building at the hospital to jump off and chickening out of hanging himself because it hurts too much, he decides to escape. Once he's out, Sonny heads for the ocean determined to drown himself. However, while he's under water he starts thinking about his daughter and, in the end, he decides that he wants to live.

Right from the opening scene, this movie provides some really funny moments and I found myself laughing out loud throughout. It has a fun blend of dark-comedy and slapstick, and the dynamic between Reynolds and DeLuise works pretty well. Overall, I definitely wouldn't call it a great movie but it is entertaining and I'm glad I took the time to watch it.

I give this one a 3 out of 5.

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